Interchangeable and size adjustable belt construction



Jan. 23, 1962 H. E. STOLLMAN INTERCHANGEABLE AND SIZE ADJUSTABLE BELT CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 20, 1959 FIG] FIG!) The invention relates to belts and more particularly is directed to an improved buckle construction for use with a detachable, reversible and size adjustable belt.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve buckles of the character described which shall comprise few and simple parts, which shall be easily assembled to form an attractive buckle of the harness belt type suitable for use with present day teen-age styles, which shall provide for simple and sturdy attachment of the buckle to the belt permitting easy and rapid reversibility and replacement of the belt rendering a versatile clothing accessory for greatly enhancing ones wardrobe, which sturdy attachment shall feature a novel knob headed post serving both as a quick assembly and sizing means for the belt and as a decorativedesign feature, for the buckle, which sizing means shall enable the retailer to satisfy the demand of a wide range of sizes from a stock of only one or two sizes, which buckle and belt shall be rugged in construction and capable of withstanding rough usage, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which shall be efficient and practical to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing in which an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown:

FIG. 1 is a front exploded perspective View of the buckle, keeper strap, keeper and belt of the novel buckle and belt combination embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a' front elevational view of the buckle showing in full lines the keeper strap and keeper attached to the buckle with the belt being inserted through the keeper in the direction of the arrow as the first step in assembly and attachment of the belt to the buckle.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view similar to FIG. 2 but with the belt shown in a final stage of assembly and attachment, the second size selecting opening being illustrated in engagement with the buckle post and an excess of belt length ready for trimming along broken line x.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the belt and buckle in closed position, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

Referirng in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a belt and buckle combination constructed to embody the invention comprising a body encircling belt 11, a buckle 12, a keeper strap 13 and a keeper or loop 14.

Belt 11, herein illustrated, may be made of anydesired suitable material such as leather, imitation leather, fabric, plastic or the like or combinations thereof in a multi-ply construction to provide opposite sides 11a and 11b of different or contrasting colors, designs, or textures, properly finished to permit selective reversibility and may have a stitched border seam 11c. Buckle attachment end 110! and opposite free or tongue engaging end 112 are formed along the midline thereof with a series of throughopenings 11f and 11g, respectively, which are uniformly sized and spaced for the purpose hereinafter described.

Buckle 12 may be suitably fashioned by stamping and providing belt 11 in a length suflicient to properly fit a i 3,fil7,64l Patented Jan. 23, 1 62 forming from metal stock, such as, brass, or steel, plated with brass or other tarnish resistant material, to have forward, intermediate and rearward transverse bars 12a, 12b and 12c, respectively, bars 12a and 12b being separated by a relatively large opening 12d and bars 12b and by a relatively narrow slot 12c. As is clear from FIG. 5, transverse bars 12b and 120 which are relatively close together may be in a common plane, while the buckle portion between and including transverse bars 12a and 12b is curved to conform somewhat to a wearers body. Tongue 12 may be pivoted in opening 12g formed in intermediate bar 12b to extend across large opening 12d and contact forward bar 12a in the conventional well understood manner.

A novel interconnection between buckle attachment end 11d of belt 11 and buckle 12 for rapid reversing or interchanging of belt 11 on buckle 12 is provided rearwardly of opening 12g in the form of upstanding pin or post 12h, slot 12c, rearward transverse bar 120 and longitudinally extending upturned flanges or guides 12 the latter connecting bar 12c to bar 12b at opposite ends of slot 12e. For both functional and decorative purposes post 1211 is preferably formed with an enlarged head 12 Keeper or retaining loop 14 may be made of metal similar to buckle 1'2 and is loosely retained in proximity to the latter by keeper strap 13 looping around rear transverse bar 1412 of keeper 14. Strap 13 may be formed of any suitable pliable sheet material similar to the material forming one of the plies of belt 11 and may have tapering opposite ends 1301 provided with centralized openings 1% for engaging post 12h as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.

As is clear from FIGS. 3 and 4, belt 11 is preferably fashioned of sufiicient width to snugly fit between longitudinal guides 12 For the purpose of clarity in illustration belt 11 is shown to comprise only two plies, it being understood that one or more intermediate plies may be utilized within the scope of the invention.

The practical application of belt and buckle combination lit will now be apparent. After constructing the parts as described above and shownin the drawing and maximum intended size with a series of equally spaced respectively, to allow for adjustment through a range of sizes to a desired minimum, keeper strap 13 is inserted through keeper or loop 14 and the opposite ends 13a thereof brought together as shown in FIG. 1. Keeper strap ends 13a are then threaded through buckle slot 12a to lie under rearward transverse bar 120 and over intermediate bar 121) so that post head 12i may be readily urged through openings 13b for retaining strap 13 in mounted position on post 12h. Buckle attachment end 11d of belt 11 is then inserted through keeper 14 between front transverse bar 14a and strap 13 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 and then under bar 12c to overlie strap 13 for engagement of the first of the openings 11 on post 12h.

Belt and buckle combination 10 is now assembled in its maximum size and is ready for wearing. To this end, belt 11 is placed about the wearers waist and buckle 12 fastened substantially in the conventional manner with tongue 12 extending through an appropriate opening 11g. Thereafter the free end He is inserted through keep 14. In this position, one of the other openings 11g will register with post 12h so that head 12i may be inserted therethrough for retaining belt end He in a smooth condition and rendering a novel design.

When the maximum size of belt 11 is found to be too large to properly fit the wearer, belt end He is disconnected from buckle 12 and belt 11 shortened by removing said first opening 11 from post 12h and selecting one of the other succeeding openings 11f for proper size fit. The excess length of belt 11 extending beyond opening 11g in intermediate transverse bar 12b may then be cut off, as for example, along line x shown in FIG. 3.

The versatility of construction will now be clear. A single buckle 12, keeper strap 13 and keeper 14 may readily serve a plurality of belts and also permit reversibility of a single belt. Thus, for example, three difierent reversible belts 11, each finished as shown in FIG. 1 with openin s 11 and 11g may be sold with one buckle 12, keeper strap 13 and keeper 14 as a combination package and will provide six different belt accessories for use with outfits of six distinctly different color combinations.

Vhere construction 10 is utilized for teen-age styles, a single size belt 11 has been found practical to accommodate the teen-age range from size 22 to 30.

It will be observed that within the embodiment of the invention, a plurality of spaced tongues and/ or posts may be provided on intermediate transverse bar 12b instead of the single tongue 12 and/ or post 1211 and belt 11 correspondingly formed in opposite ends 11d and 11c with an equal plurality of registering rows of openings instead of the single row of openings 11 and 11g, respectively. Likewise, where a plurality of posts are utilized, keeper strap 13 will be properly shaped to provide a plurality of registering sets of openings instead of the single set of openings 13b.

It is thus seen that there is provided an improved interchangeable and size adjustable buckle and belt combination whereby the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A belt buckle of the harness type having a forward, an intermediate and a rearward transverse bar, each spaced from the other, the forward and intermediate bars being separated by a relatively large opening, the intermediate and rearward bars being separated by a relatively narrow slot, a tongue pivotally mounted on said intermediate bar to extend across said large opening and contact said forward bar, a post upstanding from said intermediate bar adjacent said tongue pivotal mounting, a pair of longitudinally extending upturned flanges interconnecting said intermediate and rearward bars at opposite ends of said slot, a keeper strap and keeper, said strap being looped through the keeper and having opposite ends thereof formed with through-openings engaging said post, said strap extending under said rearward bar and through said slot.

2. In combination, a belt buckle of the harness type having a forward, an intermediate and a rearward transverse bar, each spaced from the other, a tongue pivotally mounted on said intermediate bar to extend toward and contact said forward bar, a post upstanding from said intermediate bar adjacent said tongue pivotal mounting, a keeper strap and keeper, said strap being looped through the keeper and having opposite ends thereof formed with through-openings engaging said post, said strap extending under said rearward transverse bar and extending between the space defined by said rearward and intermediate transverse bars, a waist encircling belt having a buckle attachment end and an opposite free end, each of said ends being formed with a row of spaced openings, said buckle attachment end openings being aligned for registering with said post, said free end openings being aligned for registering with said tongue, a portion of said buckle attachment end extending through said keeper, between said keeper strap and rearward transverse bar and having an endmost of said row of openings engaging said post for retaining said attachment end and buckle in detachable engagement.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 in which said post is of sufficient height to accommodate the strap and two thicknesses of belt and is terminated by a knob for removably retaining said thicknesses thereon.

4. The combination defined in claim 2 in which said post is of sufficient height to accommodate the strap and two thicknesses of belt and is terminated by a knob for removably retaining said thicknesses thereon, and a pair of upturned flanges longitudinally extending on opposite side edges of the buckle between said intermediate and rearward transverse bars for guiding and retaining said buckle attachment end in proper aligned relation with said buckle.

5. The combination defined in claim 2 in which said tongue and post are positioned along a longitudinal centerline of the buckle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,993 Smith Oct. 7, 1919 1,973,646 Mix Sept. 11, 1934 2,049,414 Cohen Aug. 4, 1936 2,794,226 Legat June 4, 1957 2,884,675 'Sternschuss May 5, 1959 

